Ribbon bar



United States Patent James A. Leonard, Jr., Chicago,v Illi, assignor to F. H. Noble and Company, Chicago; Ill".,. a corporation of Illinois":

Application July.- 10, 19.53, Serial 'No. 367,254:

3 (llaims; (Cl .40.-1.5)

This 'invention relates to a novel and improvedjribbon bar. for useon presentation attachments, badges, and the like.

In. mountin-g ribbons, badges; and awards. of various types, a suspending device known as;asribbon.bar isrcommonlyemployed and comprises generally a metal attachment-haying means for securing the same; to-a. ribbon or the like. and also carryinga pin forafiixing the;entire article to the garment of; the wearer. hrthe: case of a badgeor ribbon, .the ribbonbar; is. usuallyv sewed ;or otherwise connected-to: the upper endlportionofrant elongated ribbonrort badge. In the caseof a so-called presentation attachment, the ribbon bar; is attachedtothe upper end portion of a somewhat shorter; ribbon and a ring. is provided. atthe lower end portion of: the; ribbon for: mounting any suitable medal, charm; or' other award.

Heretofore-in the art,- ribbon'bars'have frequently been of. a type requiring the ribbon to be: attached. byv sewing with the stitches extending throughthe fabricof theribb'on and also through apertures provided in. the: ribbon. bar. Moreover, the attaching pin is often soldered to the back of the ribbon bar; thereby. increasing the cost of the manufacturing operation; Inotherrinstances, ribbon bars have been made in two or more par-ts.v with the ribbon clamped therebetween.

Aswill hereinafter appear, my invention provides a simple and inexpensive-one-piece ribbon'bar construction which completely-eliminates the necessity ofsewingin order. to attachthe" ribbonand also eliminates. the. use ofsoldering to mount the attachingpin on the bar. Moreover, the inventionprovides" special concealed retaining means on the ribbon bar for insuring proper display positioning of the ribbon relative to the bar.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide a novel ribbon bar having substantial advantages over the constructions heretofore used in the art.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and inexpensive one-piece ribbon bar construction characterized by a high degree of simplicity in manufacture and use.

Anothef object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved ribbon bar construction which does not require soldering in its manufacture and which can be attached to a ribbon in a simple fashion without the use of sewing.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel ribbon bar and combination thereof with a ribbon characterized by special retaining means which is concealed from normal view and which insures proper display positioning of the ribbon relative to the ribbon bar.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be evident from the subsequent detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of a presentation attachment including a ribbon bar embodying the principles of my invention;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevational view on an enlarged scale of the article seen in Fig. 1;

2,795,0164 Patented. June 11., 1957 Fig. 3' is a transverse sectionabview on a further enlarged scaleas taken alongthe line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4' is a. plan view of'metal blank. constituting one stage in the manufacture. of the ribbon bar;

Fig. 5; is aperspective view showing; the metal blank of Fig. 4 as bent during the step ofattaching the ribbon bar to a ribbon; and

Figs. 6 to 8 are side elevational views showing-the successive: steps involvedin attaching the. ribbon bar to a ribbon.v Referring first: to.Figs. 1 and 2, the invention is illustrated herein in connectionwith a presentation attachment comprisingaribbon 10'witharibbon-ring11 at the bottom thereof. anda ribbon bar 12 at the top thereof. The, ribbon 10. in this case is of fabric having a plurality of different colored stripes 13. A. medal, shown fragmentarily at 1'4,- issuspended from the ribbon ring 11 in the, usual manner..

Referring next to Figs. 5-5; theribbon 'bar 12- is formed by stamping out'from a. bendable metal,- such as brass, an elongatecl-onepieceblank designated generally at 15 in Fig.1 4.. The stripor: blank 15 is notched at 16 to-permit folding or bending along the dotted vertical line 17 in Fig.- 4 thereby providing a-frontstr-ip portion 18 and an integrally. connected rear strip portion 19. The front strip portion 18 isformedtwith an end tab or tongue 20 foldablealong thetdotted line 2-1 and having an outwardly punched tank or barb 22. A similar tang or barb 23 is punched out adjacent the opposite end of the stripportion 18. Depending angularly from the front strip portion. IS-adja'cent the opposite ends thereof are a pair of bendablev fingersorretainer tabs; 24 for the purpose described-hereinafter.

Therear strip portion 19, whichis adapted to be folded into-:substantially parallel clamping; relation with the front strip portion. 18,- is-provided with a a pair of openings or apertures. 25. and 26 for receiving; the tangs: 22v and 23, respectivelyrwhen-the blank 15=is folded; The. strip portionl'19. alsocarries a pair of; aperturedflanges 27 projecting outwardly therefromin par-allelrelation for pivotally mounting a pimcatch- 28 the pin 28* having an eyelet 29 atone endswhich. is. fitted between the-flanges 27 and secured theretoby a.-p,ivotor rivet member 3.0.. The. pin 2.8,isadapted. to be .retained in. closed. position by means of a downwardly curled hook portion 31 on the rear strip 19.which..coacts.-- withihe-pointed end ofitheipin 28;

Referring now to Figs. 3 and 6-8, the method of assembling the ribbon bar on a ribbon or the like will now be described. The ribbon 13 in this instance comprises a length of ribbon fabric which is threaded through the ribbon ring 11 and the end portions of the ribbon are then brought together in substantial side-by-side alignment, as indicated at 32 and 33. With the metal blank comprising the ribbon bar partially folded into its Fig. 5 condition, the aligned ends of the ribbon layers 32 and 33 are first inserted downwardly between the strip portions 18 and 19 in the manner indicated in full lines in Fig. 6. The front and rear strips 18 and 19 are then pressed together and the tab 20 on the front strip portion 18 is folded over against the corresponding end of the rear strip portion 19 thereby securely clamping the superimposed ends of the ribbon layers 32 and 33 between the strip portions 18 and 19 as clearly shown in Fig. 3. Also, as best seen in Fig. 3, this clamping action causes the tangs 22 and 23 to penetrate the double thickness of ribbon fabric so that the ribbon is securely fastened to the ribbon bar. The tang 22 extends forwardly through the aperture 26 and first pierces the ribbon layer 32, whereas the tang 23 projects rearwardly toward the aperture 25 and penetrates first through the ribbon layer 33.

Thereafter, the double thickness ribbon fabric is swung downwardly over the front of the ribbon bar, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 6. The angular fingers 24 are then bent upwardly and inwardly to overlie the respective side edges of the innermost ribbon layer 33, in the manner shown in Fig. 7, thereby clamping the edges of the ribbon layer 33 against the front strip portion 18. Thus, the folded retaining fingers 24 insure that the ribbon will hang in proper display position at the front side of the ribbon bar, and at the same time the retaining fingers 24 are concealed from normal front view by the overlying front ribbon layer 32 when the article is completely assembled as in Fig. 8.

It will be seen from the foregoing that the invention provides a very simple, inexpensive, and essentially onepiece ribbon bar construction which can readily be manufactured and assembled by low cost methods. Moreover, the construction is such that the pin catch can readily be mounted without soldering or like operations. In addition, no sewing whatsoever is necessary to attach the bar to a ribbon, the ribbon being clamped between portions of the ribbon bar structure and being further secured by pointed elements penetrating into the ribbon material. An important novel feature of the invention resides in the provision of the foldable fingers or tabs which serve to maintain the ribbon in proper display relation at the front side of the ribbon bar while being substantially concealed from normal view by the ribbon material.

Although the invention has been described with reference to a particular structural embodiment, it will be understood that various modifications and equivalent structures may be employed without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

I claim:

1. In a ribbon bar comprising coacting front and rear clamping strips adapted to be clamped together on opposite sides of a double thickness of ribbon material with both ribbon layers extending forwardly and downwardly in display position over the front clamping strip, the

improvement which comprises a pair of foldable finger,

elements depending angularly and outwardly from the bottom of said front strip whereby to project beyond the vertical side edges of the superimposed ribbon layers, said finger elements being foldable upwardly and inwardly for clamping the side edges of the innermost ribbon layer against said front strip whereby to retain the ribbon in proper display relation at the front of the ribbon bar, and said finger elements when ,so folded being adapted to be concealed from normal view by the outermost ribbon layer.

2. In combination, a ribbonbar comprising coacting front and rear clamping strips, a ribbon comprising a double layer of ribbon material with the ends thereof clamped between said strips, said ribbon extending forwardly and downwardly over the front clamping strip in display relation, and a pair of retaining fingers extending from the opposite ends of said front clamping strip and folded upwardly and inwardly over the innermost layer of ribbon material for clamping the side edges of said innermost layer against said front strip whereby to retain the ribbon in proper depending display relation with respect to the ribbon bar, the outermost ribbon layer overlying said folded fingers for concealing the same from normal view.

3. In combination, a ribbon bar comprising an elongated strip folded centrally to provide a pair of coacting front and rear clamping portions, a double thickness of ribbon material interposed between said clamping portions and extending over and downwardly in display relation in front of said front clamping portion, a foldable tab at the free end of said front clamping portion adapted to be folded around and against the corresponding free end of said rear clamping portion, pointed tang means projecting from at least one of said clamping portions for penetrating the ribbon material, the other of said clamping portions being provided with aperture means alignable with said tang means for facilitating penetration of the ribbon material by said tang means, means on said rear clamping portion for mounting an attaching pin for fastening the device on a garment or the like, and a pair; of foldable fingers depending angularly and outwardly from said front clamping portion adjacent the opposite ends thereof, said fingers being folded upwardly and inwardly against the sides of the innermost thickness of ribbon material for pressing the same against said front clamping portion whereby to retain the ribbon material in proper display relation, the outermost thickness of ribbon material overlying said folded fingers for concealing the same from normal view.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 307,382 Elson Oct. 28, 1884 445,491 Biesen Jan. 27, 1891 490,999 Uchermann Jan. 31, 1893 1,072,903 Bippart Sept. 9, 1913 1,999,786 Rosenblum Apr. 30, 1935 2,634,150 Brooks Apr. 7, 1953 2,662,789 Stotfel Dec. 15, 1953 

